Killington, Vermont secession movement facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Killington, Vermont secession movement

Location of Killington, Vermont
Formation	2004
Dissolved	2005
Type	Secession movement
Purpose	Pursuing secession from Vermont
Location	Killington, Vermont, United States

The town of Killington, Vermont, is a popular ski resort community. In 2004 and 2005, something unusual happened there. The people of Killington voted to try and leave Vermont! They wanted to join the neighboring state of New Hampshire, which is about 25 miles (40 km) away. This idea is called secession, which means a part of a country or state tries to break away and become independent or join another area.

Why Killington Wanted to Leave Vermont

Money Problems and Taxes

People in Killington who supported leaving Vermont felt they were paying too much money to the state. They claimed the town sent about $10 million each year in property taxes and another $10 million in sales taxes. But, they said, Killington only got back about $1 million each year to help fund its schools.

A local leader, Town Selectman Butch Findeisen, said, "There is a point where sharing turns to looting." This showed how strongly some people felt about the issue.

An economic study was done for the town. It found that Killington could save at least $7 million every year if it left Vermont. This amount did not even include what individual people might save on state income tax.

Rules Affecting Growth

The town also said that Vermont's environmental law, called Act 250, caused long-term economic problems. This law controls how much new building and development can happen. It set up special boards to review plans for new buildings. People who might be affected by a new building could challenge the plans.

Supporters of secession claimed that dealing with Act 250 was very expensive. They said this was one reason why Killington Ski Resort had the highest lift ticket prices in the country. They also felt that Vermont leaders were not listening to their concerns.

Voting for Secession

At a town meeting on March 2, 2004, between 200 and 300 residents voted on the idea of secession. They used a voice vote, and the proposal passed easily.

Then, on March 1, 2005, the measure was voted on again. This time, it was a ballot vote, which is more formal. Nearly two-thirds of the voters supported leaving Vermont.

Arguments Against Killington's Secession

Not everyone agreed with Killington's claims. Some people, like Representative Mark Young from Orwell, Vermont, disagreed with how Killington counted the money it sent to the state.

Representative Young said that many of the millions of dollars Killington sent to the state came from sales and rooms and meals taxes. He pointed out that this money was paid by tourists visiting Killington, not by the town itself. These taxes were collected by the state of Vermont from visitors.

Comparing Taxes in Vermont and New Hampshire

New Hampshire does not have a general sales tax, but it does have a tax on rooms and meals. New Hampshire also has a statewide property tax, similar to Vermont's. Both states also tax things like gasoline and tobacco.

Neither Vermont nor New Hampshire promise that a town will get a certain amount of tax money back as state aid. State aid in both states is given out based on things like population, not directly on how much tax money a town sends in.

Supporting Education in Vermont

How schools are funded has been a big debate in Vermont for a long time. The main issue was that rich towns could fund their schools much better than poorer towns through property taxes.

In 1997, the Vermont Supreme Court made a decision in a case called Brigham v. State. The court said that the difference in school funding was unfair to children in poorer towns. The court told the legislature to fix this problem.

The legislature created a new law called Act 60. This law created a statewide school property tax. It also gave money to schools based on the number of students. It even shared tax money from wealthy towns with poorer towns. Act 60 was updated in 2003 by Act 68, but the statewide property tax remained.

Because of these laws, Killington paid more property tax to the state than it received directly for its schools. However, some argue that Killington also benefits from other state services. These include better roads, tourism promotion, and a more educated workforce across the state.

What Happened Next with the Secession Idea

For Killington to actually leave Vermont and join New Hampshire, several groups would need to agree. The states of Vermont and New Hampshire, and the United States Congress, would all have to approve it.

The U.S. Constitution says that if state borders are changed, the legislatures (law-making bodies) of all states involved must agree. The U.S. Congress must also give its consent.

In 2005, the New Hampshire state legislature passed a law. This law allowed for a special group, called a commission, to talk with Vermont about the idea. But this would only happen if Vermont also created a similar commission.

Most people expected the Vermont legislature to say no to the idea of giving Killington to New Hampshire. Even if Vermont had agreed, the New Hampshire law did not force New Hampshire to accept Killington. It only allowed for talks to begin. If no agreement could be reached, Killington would stay part of Vermont.

Supporters of secession talked about taking the issue to a federal court. However, it was unclear what legal reasons they would use. The U.S. Constitution does not have a way for states to change their borders without the agreement of the states and Congress.

In 2005, some Vermont state representatives introduced a bill called House Bill 426. This bill would have made Killington pay "exit fees" to Vermont. These fees would cover things like education, transportation, and public services that the state had provided. The bill also would have taken away all benefits of being a Vermont resident for people in Killington. This included things like lower in-state college tuition. However, this bill was never voted on and died in 2006.